Scutching machine for flax and other fibrous materials



a. MICHOT." SCU'TCHING-MACHINE FOR .FLAX AND OTHER FIBROUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION F'ILED JULY 6., 1921.

Patmease t. 19,1922

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

e. MICHO T, SCUTCHING MACHINE FOR FLAX AND OTHER FIBHOUS MATERIALS.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 5. I92l.

Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented Sept. 19, 1922.

er; rare GEORGES MICHOT, OF DROP/LARA, IRELAND, 'AS SIGNOB TO THE FIBRE CORPORATION LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

SCUTCHING MACHINE FOR FLAX AND OTHER FIBRO'US MATERTALS Application filed July 6, 1921." Serial No. 482,821.

(GRANTED UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF THE ACT or MARCH-3, 1921, 41' STAT. 1., 1313.

To all w hom it may concern .1

Be it known that I, Grosses MIoHor, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, and residing at Dromara, County Down, Ireland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Scutching Machines for Flax and Other Fibrous Materials (for which I'have filed application in Great Britain, No. 7 ,806, dated 16th 'March, 1920; India, filed 3d January, 1921; South Africa, filed 23d De- 'cember, 1920), of which the following-is a specification.

This invention relates to machines for scutching flax and other fibrous materials of the type in which the fibrous materials are gripped between'two superposed conveying bands which, by meansof suitable guide pulleys, convey the said material into and past the zone of action of the scutching blades or heaters, and the scutching heads are arranged at a lower level than the points of feeding and withdrawal of the materials;

The object of the present invention isto provide an improved scutching machine which can be more conveniently operated, thereby facilitating increased output.

The invention consists in a scutching machine of the type referred to'comprisi'ng a casing within which the heaters are practically enclosed, and means for exhaustingv air from inside the casing, preferably with an air duct below the ground level.

The invention also consists in means for mounting and tensioning the conveying bands, comprising a pair of carrier pulleys in convenient proximity to the scutching "trating the preferred form of variable speed heads, and a pairof guide pulleys, round which the conveying bands pass two jockey pulleys independently mounted one vertically above the other, one for each conveying band, and means for exerting pressure between the jockey pulleys' and their respective conveying bands.-

The invention also onsists in means for continuously driving the conveying bands, comprising a reduction gear, and a variable speed gear which can be varied while the machine is running. v

In th'e preferred formlof carrying theinvention into effect, the scutching heads are arranged only on one side of the machine, the flax fibres are gripped at or towards one end thereof, and after passage through the machine and withdrawal therefrom, the flax fibres are reversed and again passed through the machine or through another machine of the same kind in order that the ends previously gripped between the conveying bands maybe operated on by the scutching blades. In this form, the stock veyor bands laterally relative to the scutch- 7 ing heads while the machine is running.

The invention also consists in providing the carrier pulleys, at the flanges thereof adjacent to the scutching blades, with distributing teeth inclined in such manner as to avoid or reduce to a minimum interference with the fibres as they are being withdrawn from the carrier pulleys.

I append drawings illustrating my invention as carried into effect inone form Figure 1 is 'an' elevation;

Figure 2 a plan, and

Figure 8 a transverse section through the axes of the belt conveyor pulleys;

Figure 4; is aiplan partly in section illusand reduction gear for driving the belt conveyor.

The scutching wheels 1 are mounted on two horizontal shafts 2 above but near the ground or platform 3 onwhich the operator stands. may be of wood or ofsuitable metal, or of wood sheathed with metal. The carrier pulleys 5 which present'the fibres'to the scutching wheels are mounted at about the same level as the latter. A pair of guide pulleys 6of small-diameter are mounted The scutching blades 1 or beaters other jockey pulley'lOis mounted at a @011:

above the carrying pulleys, fairly close together in such position as to provide a large angle of contact of the conveyor bands with the carrying pulleys. The two conveying bands 7 and: 8am superposed one onthe other while passing round the said carrier v and guide pulleys. A jockey pulley 9 is suitablymounted a ;convenient distance above the guide pulleys 6, andfround-v thls the lnner conveying band 7 passes. An-

venient distance verticallyabove the first mentioned jockey pulley, and round this the outer conveying band 8 passes. I The fibres are fed in "between the two conveyor bands at 12 on the descending side, andiare with- J drawn at 14k on'the ascending; side-between the two jockey pulleys. A central vertical plate 15 isinserted between, the guide pulleys to prevent interference between the 'ascending and descending fibres. Bractically constant upward pressuresv are "mamtained by the two joekey pulleys against their respective conveyor bands. or this purpose,

in one arrangement the jockey pulleys are each mounted onithe' end of a lever 16 pijv- I oted to the frame at18 and having towards its other end a weight 2 0 which may be adjusted in positionalong the" lever, so that the pressure "on thezeonveying band may be adjusted to any desiredvalue. 1 y Each carrier pulley 5 isfprovidechon the side presented towards-the scutching wheel, with distributing teeth 21 projecting beyond the periphery with which the conveyor band makes contact, as and fon the purpose de' scribed I in -United States Patent ,7 No. 1,331,659. In the present inventionthese l teeth are inclined in such manner -as-to be ,edonthepulley 27. M

and-wheeltype, in combination with a worm .wheel reduction gear 2 1, 25. Another and preferable form is a variablespeed gearof the type comprising-a belt 26, andc ap'air of eonical pulleys 27', in 'combination with an epicyclic reduction gear. The-epicyolic gear illustrated comprises a pinion,28;;fastenedto the -sha ft, a coaxial 1.-pi nion' -29 -fixed' to the b ng d bl p ane pi ion fifi mount- 1 The s o k fvanie 1 11 W h th I bands ,leave theecarrier pulleys; I v; In a 'scutchmgmacl nne as, claelmfid in beater shafts, beaters; mounted' veyor band and pulleys are mounted is preferably made separate from the frame or bed-plate 'F, and means, such asadjusting screws 32, are provided for relative lateral adjustment, whereby the overhang, of the fibres projecting from ithe conveyor bands into the paths of the seutching blades may be adj usted, while; the machine isrunning The soutching wheels are enclosed as completely as is practicable "within a casing 33,: which is in"communicationwith an exhaust fan, The libreswhilebeing operated on by the seutchingbladesdepend from the cony band rbueh; fan; opeuingazin the said casing, a draught of air enters the opening and the loose;materialremovedfroimthe fibres is prevented fromipolluting the atmos'-" phere. the said ljoose material," and for; periodically removing it fronrthe casing. .or from-the ehambersor ducts in communication ,theree Provision is made for? intercepting with. The ductsbetween-thecasing andfthe I exhaust fan are; preferably underground, Or below the floor on= Which-file machine rests. Cla'ims.-;if

,1. In a seutching -inachine =oit lthej type -vi n which the material is conveyed iibetween -a pair of superposed endless bands;in apnea parallel to and close :to the planeflofrnotion o'fthe heaters, and; the beater ShaftS are "arranged at a lower level thantheaiplacesof feeding and withdrawing material,- means 1 for mounting and; t'ensioning the} feonvoying bands comprising a pair of carrier pulleys mounted at; QJlOOlliltllH same? level as thje-};beat er shafts, aipair, of guide pulleys-aroundwhich theconveying bandsawitln the mate iif tl pass, two jockey pulleys, one foreaoh eonyeyin-g band independentlymounted, one vertically above ;theother,- and means for -ex ent ing their.;respective conveying bands. j v

2. :Inz-a scutching machine; aswolaimed in claim 1, e-a-stoclngand means for'adjusting the stock, and conveyingbandslfiterally ela-a tively to thebeaters while-,thermachine'is running I 1 3. Ina scutch-ing machinefas olaillled; in

claim 1, flanges arranged on the carrier 1pulleys. adjacent to the heaters provided ,W ith distributing; teeth, inclined; in is ,such' manner as to permitthefibers tomove easily 7 away the-refro n fas thesuperposed conveyor claim 1,- means for Continuously driving the conveying bands comprising; a' =;,reduoti0jn e aaa a i l sp e ge r betwee {o e of thebeater shafts and oneoftheparrierpuL I g In' a, scutching machine, 1 a pair of shafts a stock arranged between a pair of carrier pulleys; located, ween -,saitll shafi s, jockeyspulleys 'mou edz ahoiie .pressure "between the jockey pulley'sland said carrier pulleys and arranged one above for exerting pressure between the jockey the other, an endless band passing around pulleys and their respective conveying the lower one of the jockey pulleys and enbands. 10 gaging said carrier pulleys, another-endless In testimony whereof I have signed my 5 band passing over the upper one of the name to this specification.

jockey pulleys and superposed on the band arranged on the carrier pulleys, and means 7 GEORGES MICHOT. 

